Lee County Coroner confirms 1 homicide and 3 traffic fatalities

LEE COUNTY, AL (WTVM) - At approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday, a two-vehicle collision claimed the lives of two Dadeville residents.

The accident happened at the intersection of US Hwy 280 West and County Road 89 South just inside Tallapoosa County.

36-year-old Arlo Burton and 5-year-old Armani Burton died from their injuries at East Alabama Medical Center.

There were five members of the family in the vehicle when the driver, Arlo Burton traveling south on US Hwy 280 swerved to miss a vehicle that had entered 280 from County Road 89 South, struck the vehicle and lost control and overturned ejecting four of the occupants of his vehicle including himself.

The victims ejected were not believed to be wearing seatbelts. Arlo Burton was airlifted by Lifesaver from the scene but suffered a cardiac arrest while in flight and the helicopter had to land at EAMC. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the emergency room at 2:07 PM.

Armani Burton was transported via ground ambulance and once stabilized was about to be airlifted to a trauma center from EAMC when she went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived. She was pronounced dead in the emergency room at 3:08 p.m.

Both Burtons died from multiple blunt force impact injuries. Their bodies have been sent to the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences for a postmortem exam. The other three occupants were transported via ambulance to EAMC for treatment with apparent non-life-threatening injuries.

The accident remains under investigation by the Lee County Coroner’s Office, the Tallapoosa County Coroner’s Office, the Camp Hill Police and the Alabama State Troopers.

Sunday morning at approximately 12:40 a.m., Auburn Police received a 911 call of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 85 at the end of the southbound on-ramp of Exit 57 at Bent Creek.

Upon arrival by police and emergency medical services, they discovered a black female deceased in the southbound lane of I-85. Apparently, she was struck while walking in the roadway.

The victim did not have any identification about her and apparently died instantly after being struck by a vehicle that was entering the interstate from the onramp.

She died instantly from multiple blunt force impact injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by Lee County Coroner Bill Harris at 1:05 a.m. Her body has been sent to the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for a postmortem exam. The accident remains under investigation by the Lee County Coroner’s Office, the Auburn Police and the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences.

Later at about 3:00 a.m., the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a person that had been shot in the 9800 block of US Hwy 29 North in Cusseta.

Upon arrival by deputies and EAMC EMS, they discovered 28-year-old Tamichael Najee Jones lying in the parking lot of the Rhythm and Blues Sports Bar with no signs of life. Jones had suffered an apparent gunshot wound.

Lee County Coroner Bill Harris pronounced Jones dead at the scene. It is unclear at this time what led to the shooting and is being investigated as a homicide.

There were no weapons found at the scene by responding deputies. Evidence obtained through the investigation indicates that there was a private party being held at the club prior to the shooting and immediately following the shooting all the potential witness fled from the establishment.

Jones' body has been sent to the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for a postmortem exam.

The case remains under investigation by the Lee County Coroner’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences. Anyone with any information on the incident, please call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 334-749-5651 or the Lee County Coroner Secret Witness Line at 334-745-8686.

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